By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
While the Barton County Landfill allows citizens to drop off tires at its facility, the county pays a third party to properly dispose them. Each year, Barton County budgets $15,000 to pay Champlin Tire Recycling, based in Concordia, for tire disposal. Barton County is on pace to surpass that budgeted amount this year.
Being mindful of the expense to the county, the City of Great Bend is looking for ways to alleviate abandoned or dumped tires.
During a joint
meeting between the Great Bend City Council and Barton County Commission
Monday, City Administrator Kendal Francis suggested a collection day or
drop-off location for citizens to have their tires properly disposed with no
cost.
"It would require property owners to bring the tires, but they have always said getting rid of them wasn't so much the physical process but the cost of doing it," said Francis. "We do budget some for abatement costs that could help going to this process. If we could do one mass collection it might make a dent in the issue we have."
Francis added the city recently dealt with a commercial business where more
than 100 used tires were removed because they were illegally dumped at the
site.
Councilmember Cory Urban suggested a method to allow citizens to drop
tires off at the landfill without enduring the expense.
"Maybe we do a more continual, year-round process if you have tires and you're a citizen of Great Bend, you can take them to the landfill, show your address on your license to prove that you're from Great Bend," said Urban. "The landfill could record it and know it's allocated to the city and then split the costs."
Each year, Barton County awards a $15,000 recycling grant to a local company
that assists in cleaning up the community. Landfill Director Phil Hathcock’s
suggestion was to use that grant to help pay for a city-wide, possibly
county-wide, tire cleanup date.
Francis noted he’ll brainstorm more ideas with Hathcock to provide a viable option for citizens.